There are two good types of managers I've seen: Director+: Who largely delegate off to Tech Leads, etc. They don't have the time to get in your hair, and are

There are two good types of managers I've seen: Director+: Who largely delegate off to Tech Leads, etc. They don't have the time to get in your hair, and are focused on what is truly important. Non-Technical Managers WHO KNOW IT. They don't try to make technical calls. They are there to support the team and make sure it runs smoothly. They end up highly dependent on their leads. Not the end of the world, but they better pick well. Any technical manager, eventually becomes #2. "Rusty Programming Skills" etc. I've seen, one manager who could hold Tech Lead and Manager. Even then as good as he was. He would have done better with some leads and more delegation. But that is one first level manager in 25+ years. In the end, engineers need support. We know how. We need to know the what, and why.